There’s no better way to get a sense of which way the winds of watch fashion are blowing than by gathering 60 of the leading luxury watchmakers in Geneva for one week and having them show their latest creations to the world. This is exactly what Watches & Wonders is, and it’s the perfect place to get an overall sense of the macro trends in an industry that’s typically focused on the most micro of details.
There were plenty of trends at play in the Palexpo, such as a real focus on creating fresh looks thanks to new bracelets, a clever way of providing a point of difference without the expense of creating a whole new watch. There were some surprising size increases, bucking the narrative that watches are getting smaller, and perhaps most surprising, there was a surprising number of actual F1 cars on display. TAG Heuer had two, as did IWC, and Tudor made do with one. One trend that was hard to miss was the proliferation of blue watches.
Colour, in and of itself, does not make a trend — it’s easy to cherry-pick a handful of examples and whip it up into something more than it is. Having said that, when not one, not two, but three watchmakers all offer their own takes on vibrant blue-cased watches, we think there might be something more at play.
Zenith's Chronomaster Sport 160th Anniversary Edition in blue ceramic.
Zenith offered a trio of its sportiest chronographs, the Chronomaster Sport, the Defy, and its Pilot’s watch, in ceramic cases so bold Yves Klein would approve. Aside from the ceramic cases, this trio of unmissable sports watches have another thing in common — the brand’s legendary El Primero movement, one of the most significant chronograph calibres of all time.
Hublot's Big Bang Unico timepiece in Petrol Blue.
Keeping with the blue theme, Hublot also made ample use of it as part of their 20th-anniversary celebration of the Big Bang. Hublot is known for its expertise in technical coloured materials, so it should come as no surprise that it brought the rainbow. The Big Bang Chronograph in Water Blue Sapphire is as impressive as it is translucent. A slightly more down-to-earth offering is a new pair of watches in petrol blue — a classic Big Bang Unico, and a smaller One Click model with the added allure of a diamond bezel. Hublot’s softer shades of ceramic watches have proven popular, so the addition of petrol blue is sure to be popular.
Chanel's J12 Bleu Caliber 12.1.
Rounding out the blue troupe is Chanel, who, for the first time, offered a blue execution of their J12. The choice of colour is no accident. The release marks 25 years since the model debuted in black ceramic, and a few years later, we got it in white, and now, for the first time, the fashion powerhouse has revealed it in blue (or bleu) ceramic. Unlike the above watches, which showcase how bright and bold blue can be, Chanel’s take on the tone is something softer. Chanel has used a softer, more pastel tone and finished it with an almost pearlescent sheen that gives the J12 Bleu an almost jewel-like finish. Of course, Chanel being Chanel, there are plenty of actually jewelled options — there’s a series of limited designs boasting plenty of blue sapphires and other stones, with price tags to match.
